Tropical Depression Four strengthened into Tropical Storm Debby Saturday afternoon once it entered the Gulf of Mexico from Cuba.
The storm is poised to continue intensifying, forecast to become a hurricane prior to landfall on the Big Bend region of Florida on Monday.
Beyond then, Debby is forecast to slow down over the southeastern US, continuing to pummel parts of the region with gusty winds and storm surge along some coastal communities.
The biggest concern will be the flood threat from heavy rainfall with 20+ inches of rain forecast for the areas around Charleston and Savannah.
In South Florida, we’ll keep elevated rain chances in the forecast to begin the new week as we’ll be positioned in a tail of moisture Monday into Tuesday as the storm moves to our north. This will promote passing showers and storms at times.
For our Sunday, expect lots of dry time with some sunshine, although it will be on the soggier side across the lower Florida Keys given the closer proximity to the storm. That’s where a Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect.
Eventually by the evening, a band of rain and thunderstorms is forecast to pivot into Miami-Dade and Broward, leading to another risk for strong winds, flooding and an isolated tornado.
A Flood Watch does remain in effect for many locations this Sunday.
By the middle of next week, rain chances should drop to the isolated to scattered range. We’ll also see more sunshine but with that comes the heat!
